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When I was in Vietnam a local told me how to cross the road when there are hundreds of motorcycles and scooters bearing down on you. The trick is to step onto the street, look straight ahead and just walk across it. DONT STOP! The locals will simply go around you. And it worked! Still, I had the feeling I was taking my life into my hands. So no need to worry, aaron.

Might be Parayan Indian tailor. I don't need another pair of trousers, but I might buy one, just so he can measure my inner leg.

Unfortunately, no gold anything in my house! All modern houses in Australia have at least 2 toilets - 1 for the main bedroom and another 1 outside the bedroom - usually in the laundry. I have 3 because there's a separate self-contained area in the house for guests. The bum hose is used when a 'friend' comes to visit. Japanese toilets are everywhere nowadays in developed countries. The ones sold in Australia for private homes are rather basic bolt-on devices , mainly made in China or Korea. But at least you don't need a degree in computer science to use them! You need an original Japanese one for proper cleaning. Toto is the brand to look out for. The latest ones medically analyse your poo. I haven't checked but I imagine the Japanese ones would be available to buy in Thailand - at least in Bangkok.

I'd also be worried about the toilet! I'm still in therapy after visiting the country home of a friend as a kid in Japan. Despite being very well-off, their toilet was a hole in the ground inside the house! The stink throughout the house was nauseating. How things have changed! I have 3 Japanese toilets with all the bells and whistles- including music! Plus a Thai-style bum hose. I imagine Jimmie will insist on a western-style toilet in the new house.

I tip the guys I meet in bars, restaurants, etc on the basis of their good looks, friendly attitude and how toned their bodies are. In Thailand I'm always in danger of going bankrupt! I think if a guy goes to the time and expense to keep himself in good shape, he deserves to be rewarded for that. A six-pack earns an extra bonus.

"Smey stayed for ages and only became more handsome as he matured – he was already 30-ish when he won second runner-up in Mr Cambodia." How long ago was that? I wrote about an incredibly handsome guy there who told me he had entered a competition, and I always wondered how he went. He told me he was a model and showed my some photos on his phone. That was a couple of years ago and I wonder if that was Smey.

Me, too!!

Actually, I'm a meat and 2 vegie kind of guy. Bananas and peaches are the only fruit I like.

Gays prefer peaches!

Ok, just a quick reply. I've just returned from a walk down to the beach involved. Normally on a Sunday it is full of people just sitting on the sand enjoying the view. Today the beach was deserted, apart from a group of the victim's friends gathered around the floral tributes. There was lots of reminiscing and lots of tears - including my own. And it turns out he was a neighbour of mine, although his face is not familiar. I can't understand why the government wants to hunt down the shark and kill it. We go into their environment, not the other way round. Lots of Aussies travel to Thailand for the beaches, especially the islands. Koh Samui and Phuket are particularly popular. I've never heard of sharks being a problem anywhere in Asia. I wonder why? Is the water too warm?

I want to KL in July, specifically for some dental work. I'd been quoted A$3000 (70500 baht) in Australia. I had the same work done - a crown - for $850 (20,000 baht)! Years ago I had 2 crowns and a couple of fillings done in Bangkok at a dentist inside Siam Paragon. Three dentists worked on me at the same time, using the latest German equipment. The clinic was very luxurious. The cost was a third of what I'd pay here. I'd recommend them but I think they have since moved.

This thread has introduced so many interesting topics. Rather than make numerous responses, I'll combine my comments into this long (sorry!) post. Here in Australia the guys wouldn't even look at you, let alone shake your hand, for $50! I have 2 truly awesome guys who provide me with 'entertainment' twice a week. With what I pay them I could buy a ticket to Thailand a couple of times a month! And that's with a discount I get for seeing them on a regular basis! Re: the guys working in the 'industry', I have nothing but respect for them. When I look at myself in the mirror I always wonder how on earth a hot young guy could have sex with an oldie like me. I couldn't think of anything worse. When I was their age it's the last thing I would want to do, no matter how much money I was offered. For one thing, I wouldn't be able to get it up! I also find them to be friendly, polite and extremely honest. Sure, some of them drive a hard bargain at times, but that's what I would do if I were in their position. Afterall, it's a job. We are seen as rich so they want to get as much as they can. But after the deal is done in the bar or massage parlour, they never push for more after the fun is over. The only time I've been ripped off was in a massage parlour in Pattaya. Just after I'd left I realised I'd left my watch behind. I never take anything of value with me but it was only after I was on the flight that I realised I was wearing it. It was a watch I'd bought in Germany and was a little bit expensive. I rushed back to get it. The owner and the guy I had been with pretended to search for it but they said they couldn't find it. Yeah, right! I had put it on the side table next to the bed. As it was a result of my own stupidity, I let it go but decided to return the next day and offer them a fairly substantial sum of money in order to get it back, but to no avail. I'm guessing the guy had already sold it - probably for a couple of hundred baht! Re: tipping. In Japan and Australia, tipping is not the norm. In fact, in Japan it is seen as rude and the money would be handed back. I think good, friendly service should be rewarded with a tip so I don't mind it - especially if the waiter is particularly handsome. He gets more! 🤣 I had a rather funny experience at the Tarntawan hotel. I tipped the cleaner after she'd made up my room. A few minutes after she left there was a knock at the door. It was the cleaner and she had another one with her. 'This my friend. Today she have birthday.' I smiled, wished her a happy birthday and closed the door. 🤣🤣🤣 As for sex with straight guys, I find it a real turn-on. As a top, all my encounters while living in Japan were with gay guys and the thought of topping a straight guy never entered my mind. My first experience was with a guy called Jack who I met in a bar in the old Soi Twighlight. We had made the arrangement in the bar for him to come back to the hotel, so imagine my shock,surprise and horror when he told me he had to phone his wife to let her know he'd be going with a customer and would be coming home late tonight! WTF??? How is this arrangement going to turn out? It was wonderful! The next day he took me to meet his wife who was working at a department store. I ended up buying a large fluffy toy for their baby! And he became my regular off in Bangkok. Sorry, Aaron for the long post! I'll keep quiet now. 🤣

The charcoal pills in Japan have a warning on the label - not to be taken by 'old people'. 🤣 I think it's because us oldies take various kinds of medication for blood pressure, cholesterol, etc and the pills might stop them from working. The ones Aaron took must have a coating over them to keep the smell away, but the Japanese ones don't. They treat medication the same way some people treat cheese - the stinker the better. Some of their 'kampoyaku' - Chinese herbal medicine- makes we want to puke. I'd rather stay sick!

These pills are the most popular in Japan for stomach upsets; they've been around for years and are called seirogan. They are very effective but the smell is overpowering. They stink the whole house out.

You obviously don't know me. I've got a much bigger and better stamp collection than you!

Aaron mentioned Hua Hin. I don't know how true it is, but I've heard that the water there is clean and isn't polluted at all.

When I was at school in Tokyo we were just taught English grammar - It was treated as an exam subject, not for practical use. The teacher couldn't speak a word of English! We spent a lot of time reading very difficult English texts and analysing the sentences. There was much hilarity in the class when I actually failed my English tests! 'How is that possible? You're a native speaker!' I only did elementary school in Australia and we didn't learn anything about grammar, just lots of spelling tests, so it was all new to me.

Funny you should say that. I live right across from the ocean. Friends used to ask me why I have a swimming pool when I could just walk across the road. First of all, you can't swim in winter, but you can in a heated pool. But my main reason is that I'm afraid of sharks. Everyone just laughed They don't laugh now. Yesterday a guy was mauled and killed by a shark very close the where I live. He was only 15 metres off shore! I went there today to lay some flowers and there were lots of people crying. It was so sad. And just last week another guy was mauled but luckily he survived. I've never heard of someone being attacked by a shark in the sea off Pattaya, but I'd never go swimming in the ocean!

I always drop into 7/11 in Silom every night to get my morning coffee, condoms and lube and a dessert. If I'm heading back to the hotel with a 'friend' I usually tell him he can go and pick up anything he wants. Usually it's a drink, hair products, toothpaste etc. To their credit, no guy has every gone overboard with their purchases and taken advantage of my offer. In Japan you can eat like a king at any of the numerous convenience stores. Each chain has its own speciality for which it is famous. For example,, 7/11 has its 'tamago sando' - egg sandwich (YUM!!!!), Family Mart it's 'famichiki' - deep fried boneless chicken cutlet, Yamazaki it's baked goods.... The Western-style dessert choice is endless. It's where I head to first. Lots of crème caramel, crème brûlée, tiramisu, soft buns filled with cream.... All the stores sell 'onigiri' - rice balls with different fillings (although they are actually triangular!) For years I struggled to open them, knowing that there must be a proper way of doing it. Afterall, this is Japan I finally decided to read the instructions! They are wrapped in 2 layers to keep the crispy seaweed separate from the rice to prevent it becoming soggy. It's ingenious. Pull down the tab in the middle, pull both sides at the bottom outwards and hey presto! The seaweed magically wraps itself around the rice. Whenever friends came to visit when I was living there, they were astounded at what they could buy in a convenience store. They would take a basket, wander down all the aisles and just buy up everything and throw if in their suitcases. 'Can we come back again tomorrow?' Over the years I've noticed the selection of products has really expanded in Thailand 7/11 stores. I love all their spicy snacks. The product I most want to try is some kind of durian product like biscuits or desserts - but I'm still not brave enough. 🤣

But what can you reasonably expect from a guy whose favourite game is Trivial Pursuit? 🤣🤣🤣 And trying to claim the moral high ground on a board which, as you pointed out, discusses sex and brothels is hilarious! I'm sorry to read about your experience at the host bar. Damn! I'd already made a note of it. But appreciate the fact that you are doing all the legwork for us!

I had a regular guy in Pattaya with whom I spent many holidays. He'd come to my hotel at lunchtime and we'd spent the rest of the day and evening together. His English was excellent - self-taught- and that allowed us to chat about a variety of subjects. His knowledge of world events and history was incredible. What surprised me was the difficulty he had reading Thai. He would run his finger across the words and read each letter of the alphabet. He told me that due to family circumstances he left school at a very young age and went to work to support his mother and brother and so missed out on an education. I think there are a lot of guys, especially from Isaan, who have a similar tale to tell.

It's amazing, but hardly surprising, how you've managed to conflate my original 3 sentences about Mai into some kind of saga of one-upmanship. 'it looks like you've been had, in more ways than one.' What other ways did you have in mind? You didn't say. As for his sexual orientation, which is irrelevant (and which you mentioned, not me), I think the bar owner would know. Maybe you should ask Mai about the discrimination he felt from the straight Shan guys working in AA. As for the issue of privacy, I imagine it would be difficult for any guy who works in a gay bar, appears in photos advertising the bar, goes off with numerous customers for sex and now runs a gay bar to maintain any semblance of privacy. Mai has never hidden any of that, afaik. And your details about his marital status is also a breach of privacy, no? Time to move on.

You may well be right. One of us has been given a 'bum steer'. I ran into Mai at the Orion not long after he was told by AA that he was now too old to work there. He told me that the woman he introduced me to as the co-owner of the bar was his sister. The owner of AA told me that he had 2 gay guys working there - both were bottoms. One of them was Mai. I spent every night with him during my holiday, and to me, he was definitely gay. 110%. So it is difficult to believe that he's married, although certainly not impossible. Some succumb to the inevitable social pressure, I guess. Anyway, two different stories. That's not impossible, either!

I'm not into apps, either. I much prefer sitting with a guy and having a bit of a chat, seeing how friendly he is and making sure his appendage is'original'. The only time I've found a guy on an app was when I was in Prague. I used gayromeo. I found the experience harrowing as I waited for him outside my hotel. What if he didn't look like his photo? What if I didn't like him? What if he was a dud in bed? What if it turned out to be a 'you cum, I go' experience? What if he's on drugs? He came around the corner, saw me, smiled and waved. Omg! He was gorgeous! Back in the room we sat on the bed, had a drink and chatted. My heart was beating furiously. He told me he was a nurse, which was very reassuring, as I felt I was about to have a heart attack.🤣 He put me completely at ease. I let him take the lead. I was still a little apprehensive as I'm used to having sex with Asian guys, not westerners. Needless to say, it was an incredible experience! Being the consummate professional, his technique was awesome. I could have played with that enormous cock forever. In the unlikely event that I can't find a suitable guy on my next trip to Thailand, I will bite the bullet and give Grindr a go.

Seems counterproductive. Hopping into bed with a guy who is drunk - or on drugs- does not guarantee a happy ending! I'd rather give the bar the drink money in cash and take the guy home sober.